Environmental Resource Plan of Management for Jaluit atoll'

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Environmental Resource Plan of Management for
Jaluit atoll.

• Republic of the Marshall Island

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Implementing Funding Agencies

• Environmental Protection Agency - RMI EPA
• South Pacific Regional Environment Programme -
  SPREP
• Presenter Mr. Steve Lindsay
• Marine Consultant

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Plan of Management for Jaluit Atoll.

• A community driven management plan.
• includes conservation and economic development
  (Eco- tourism and Fisheries).

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Vision

• We the people of Jaluit Atoll will strive to
  conserve and sustainably manage the biodiversity
  of the atoll for the subsistence and the
  social-economic needs of the present and future
  generations.

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Goals of the Management Plan

• Conservation
• Protect, conserve and, where possible, restore
  the natural biodiversity and cultural values of
  the atoll.
• Community involvement and support
• Develop community awareness, understanding and
  appreciation of the biological and physical
  diversity of the atoll, and promote community
  involvement in, and support for, its protection,
  conservation, and restoration.

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Goals of the Management Plan Cont.

• Commercial and other uses
• Manage commercial and other uses in an
  ecologically sustainable way.
• Ecotourism
• Facilitate nature-based ecotourism in a manner
  that is compatible with the other goals.
• Research and Monitoring
• Implement a data collection and analysis program
  that provides for a much greater understanding of
  the impacts of use and management activities
  within the atoll.

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Objectives of the Plan of Management

• To protect, conserve and where possible, restore
  the atolls natural biodiversity and cultural
  values.
• To incorporate traditional and modern resource
  management practices to form a comprehensive and
  integrated community based resource management
  plan.
• To develop a series of community based protected
  areas to provide for the continued existence of
  all organisms based on the traditional mo.

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Objectives of the Plan of Management Cont.

• To develop community awareness and appreciation
  of the biological and physical diversity of the
  atolls rich resources and promote community
  involvement in, and support for, its protection,
  conservation and restoration.
• To manage subsistence, off-island demand, special
  occasion and commercial uses in an ecologically
  sustainable manner.

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Objectives of the Plan of Management Cont

• To better understand the natural and cultural
  environments, and the impacts of use and
  management activities.
• To facilitate nature based eco-tourism in a
  manner compatible with other goals.

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Processes to Develop the Plan of Management

• Extensive community dialogue of formal and
  informal meetings and workshops.
• These included
• Traditional Leaders Landowners.
• Jaluit Atoll Local Government Council Members.
• Jaluit Atoll Conservation Area Coordinating
  Committee (CACC) members.
• Elected National Government representatives.
• Jaluit Atoll community at large.  

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The Atoll

• Whole atoll has been declared a Conservation
  Area.
• 690 sq. km. total size.
• 91 islets covering a land area of 11 sq. km.
• All lagoon and water offshore to 200 m.
• 1000 residents.
• One air field, received 4 flights a week from
  Majuro and Kwajalein.
• Vehicle access on the main centers connecting
  road.

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Economics

• Subsistence activities to support basic needs.
• Includes
• Fishing and the collection of marine organisms.
• Cultivation of food crops.

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Income Opportunities

• Limited government positions.
• Small service sector.
• Copra production.
• Remittances from families off island.

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 Commercial Resource sales Intermittent income

• Collection of marine resources
• e.g., Beche-de-mer, trochus shell, giant clams.
• Sale of fish to the Government run Fish Base.

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Ecotourism

• Under development.
• Focus on diving, WWII relics, and mangrove walks
  and culture activities.
• Community based.

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Ecosystems

• Jaluit Atoll is large atoll with a wide range of
  relatively pristine and healthy ecosystems.
• Diverse Marine and Terrestrial habitats.
• Minimal pollution.
• Historic WWII War relics (land and water).

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Key Environmental Issues

• Marine Extractive Resource Impacts.
• Subsistence Daily livelihood activities (food,
  shelter).
• Off-island Demand Large resource extraction
  sent off island Family and social obligations,
  no money involved.
• Special Occasion (on island) Large resource
  extraction for community events weddings,
  funerals.
• Commercial Resource extraction for sale and
  commercial profit, primarily off island demand.

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Key Environmental Issues Cont.

• Shore Based Impacts.
• Land Clearing.
• Shoreline and Coral dredging.
• Waste pollution.
• Solid waste Sewage Disposal.

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Plan of Management

• Developed utilising and merging traditional and
  modern resource management practices and
  concepts.
• Resulting in a three-tiered zonation system.
  These are

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General Use Area

• All areas outside Mos.
• Allows Subsistence, Off-island Demand, Special
  Occasion, Ecotourism and Commercial activities.
• 65 of the atoll.
• Some restrictions Atoll Wide Bans.

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Mo

• Community determined areas.
• Allows Subsistence, Special Occasion and
  Ecotourism activities.
• Total ban on all Off Island Demand and Commercial
  activities.
• 15 Mo areas.
• Covering 35 of the lagoon.

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Sanctuary

• Selected areas within Mos.
• Strictly No Take zones.
• Total ban on all activities.
• 14 areas.
• Covering 10 of the lagoon (within Mo areas).
• Ecological significant areas (e.g. species and
  habitat diversity, resource stock populations).
• Cultural importance.

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Legend

• General Use White.
• Mo Green.
• Sanctuary Red.

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Atoll Wide Bans 14 in total.

• Clam harvesting for Commercial Off-Island
  Demand.
• Trochus harvesting.
• Sea Cucumber harvesting.
• Black pearl oyster harvesting.
• Commercial Shark fishing.
• Turtle and egg harvesting.
• Seabird and egg harvesting.
• Dredging or Mining.

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Atoll Wide Bans Cont.

• Destructive fishing techniques (chlorine,
  cyanide, dynamite).
• Unsustainable fishing methods e.g. small size
  gill nets.
• Spear fishing on SCUBA.
• Spear fishing at night with underwater
  flashlights.
• Collection of any shells, corals, plants or
  relics by tourists.
• Live Fish Trade collecting.
• Live rock coral harvesting.

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Community Regulations and Enforcement of the
Zonation system

• Conservation Area to be been given its own law
  under the community council and incorporates 11
  ordnances.
• Including
• Designate the Jaluit Atoll Plan of Management as
  legislation.
• Designate the boundaries of all Mo and
  Sanctuaries within the atoll.
• Designate all Sanctuaries within the atoll
  no-take zones.

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Community Regulations and Enforcement of the
Zonation system cont.

• Designate all Mos within the atoll as
  subsistence-only zones and clearly define the
  activities that are allowed, and those that are
  banned.
• Designate all Atoll-wide Bans.
• Ban all coral, shell and relic collecting by
  tourists.
• Make the payment of User Fees mandatory for all
  tourist activities.

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Community Regulations and Enforcement of the
Zonation system Cont.

• Make it mandatory for all tourists to follow all
  Best Environmental Practices and Best Community
  Practices.
• Designate the need for a local guide to be
  present on all tourist boats or land tours.
• All future development on Jaluit Atoll undertaken
  using Best Environmental Practices Minimal
  Impact Practices.
• Dive boats will not anchor on the reef but
  either drift or use a Dive Mooring.

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Community Enforcement

• Enforcement is critical issue to the long-term
  sustainability of the plan of management.
• Requires a combined effort of the communities and
  local government.
• Difficult due to
• The size of the atoll.
• The complicated land and water ownership rights
  within the atoll.
• Utilization of Community Rangers.

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Marine Monitoring Program

• Long-term scientific baseline data required to
  allow the management of the biological resources
  of the atoll and to prevent over exploitation of
  resources.
• Information required includes
• Atoll Wide Marine Assessment - standing stock
  populations of organisms.
• Atoll Wide Bans reviewed utilising new
  information.
• Fish Base Data to prevent overexploitation of
  reef fish stocks.

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Marine Monitoring Program cont.

• Spawning Aggregation Sites identify locations,
  timing and protect these locations.
• Marine Monitoring training programs To develop
  local capacity to undertake these programs.

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Development Plan for Jaluit Atoll - Tourism.

• Tourism in Jaluit is in its infancy.
• The community is targeting eco-tourism based on
  small-scale environmental friendly activities.
• Providing natural, cultural and historic values.
• Including
• Coral reefs.
• Mangroves.
• Terrestrial fauna and flora.

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Development Plan for Jaluit Atoll Tourism cont.

• Historical sites.
• WWII relics.
• Handicrafts.
• Established through council ordinance Best
  Environmental and Community Practices.

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Dive Site Moorings

• No anchoring allowed.
• Dive boats must drift or use established
  moorings.

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Development Plan for the Dive Industry for Jaluit
atoll

• Dive site inventory Ownership issues.
• Environmental Impact Assessment.
• Training needs growth potential analysis.
• Stakeholder inventory.
• Public awareness issues with communities and dive
  operators.
• Vessel mooring system.
• Risk assessment.
• Emergency evacuation plan.
• Marketing strategy.

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Recommendations

• Formal and Informal community meetings should be
  a regular and ongoing activity.
• JAPOM should be regularly reviewed.
• All Zone (general use, mo sanctuaries) should
  be
• Defined by all communities.
• Made into Ordinances.
• Clearly marked (e.g. mooring buoys)

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Recommendations cont.

• All atoll bans developed into local ordinances.
• Public Awareness and Education Program for the
  entire community.
• Zones and their restrictions.
• Atoll wide bans.
• Enforcement.

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Recommendations cont.

• Best Environmental Practices adopted.
• Waste Management assessment undertaken.
• Marine Monitoring program developed.
• Marine management plan developed.
• Environment Impact Assessments.

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